Goodwood, England: Jamie Spencer, a former champion jockey both in his native Ireland and Britain, showed he is still at the top of his game when delivering an brilliant ride aboard Big Orange to win the Goodwood Cup on Thursday.
Spencer, whose career-biggest win came at Nad Al Sheba racecourse in Dubai in 2006 when he won the $5 million (Dh 18.36 million) Dubai Duty Free (currently Dubai Turf) aboard David Junior, succesfully employed his trademark hold-up tactics to outbattle Quest For More and favourite Trip To Paris in a blinding finish to the two mile contest.
Having tracked Vive Ma Fille, the mount of Silvestre de Sousa, Spencer asked Big Orange for his effort inside the final furlong and the pair held on determinedly to stave off George Baker’s Quest For More and Ascot Gold Cup (G1) hero Trip To Paris (Graham Lee).
Less than a length separated the trio at the line as the winner proved that his victory in the Pricess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month was no flash in the pan.
Big Orange’s big-hearted performance may well have earned him a vote for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup later in the year.
“It was a fantastic race to be involved in and we’ve seen three very good stayers fight out the finish today,” his trainer Michael Bell said at Goodwood.
“Big Orange is a huge horse, he’s brave and is a pleasure to train. He’s such a character. Last year we were hoping he was very much a stayer in the making and now he’s delivering.
“He’s a versatile horse and also very talented. We’ll have to think about it now (the Melbourne Cup).”
Spencer added: “He’s very tough and honest and loves this ground.
“He can only get stronger as the year goes on.
“Perhaps the only thing that would have made winning this better would have been to have Sir Peter O’Sullvevan [who died on Wednesday] calling it.”
Sheikhzayedroad, representing Dubai businessman Mohammad Al Jaber, finished a respectable sixth after having all the running to do when he missed the break.
Champion jockey Richard Hughes, who will retire on Saturday, registered his first victory of the 2015 Goodwood Festival aboard 11/1 chance Gibeon in the opening Land Rover Handicap.
“I can retire a happy man now!” said Hughes.
Earlier, John Gosden claimed yet another major win, when saddling Shalaa to a comfortable victory in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes.
The winner scored by 2 1/3 lengths over the Dubai-owned pair of Tasleet and Steady Pace.
Tasleet was trained by Derby-winning handler William Haggas, for Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, while Steady Pace represted Godolphin’s Saeed Bin Surour.
